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Caldo Tlalpeño served in a white bowl and topped with avocado and cheese.
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5 from 33 votes

Caldo Tlalpeño

Caldo Tlalpeño is a hearty Mexican chicken soup. Loaded with veggies and a kick of chipotle. It's perfect for chilly days and family dinners!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 297kcal
Author: Maggie Unzueta

Ingredients

To Cook the Chicken:

  • 1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breast (or thighs)
  • ½ white onion
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

You'll Also Need:

  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • ¼ white onion finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes quartered
  • 1 garlic clove diced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced
  • ½ cup green beans chopped
  • 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
  • cilantro (chopped)

Optional Toppings:

Instructions

  • To cook the chicken, place it in a stockpot with the onion, garlic clove, bay leaf, water and season with 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • Cover the stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • Cook for about 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is ready.
  • Remove the cooked chicken, onion, bay leaf, and garlic. Discard everything but the chicken.
  • Leave the chicken broth in the pot. This is the base for your soup.
  • Let the chicken cool slightly before shredding.
  • While the chicken is cooling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the onions, tomatoes, and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes.
  • Ladle in a spoon of the chicken broth to the skillet.
  • Gently scrape the bottom of the skillet with your spatula.
  • Pour everything from the skillet into a blender.
  • Add 1 chipotle in adobo sauce and ½ teaspoon salt to the blender.
  • Blend until smooth and pour the tomato mixture into the pot of chicken broth.
  • Add the carrots, green beans, and chickpeas to the pot.
  • Cook until the carrots are tender. About 10 minutes.
  • Taste for salt.
  • Shred the chicken and set aside.
  • To serve, add some of the shredded chicken to a large bowl, then ladle the veggies and broth over the chicken.
  • Serve and top with diced avocado, cubed cheese (of your choice), 1 whole chipotle in adobo sauce (per bowl), and lime wedges.

Notes

Type of cheese to use: Monterey Jack Cheese, Queso Oaxaca, Chihuahua Cheese, Queso Panela, Mozzarella, or Queso Fresco. Whatever you like and prefer work well. Above, you see diced Chihuahua Cheese. I like it because it melts slightly in the hot soup broth.
To Make it Spicier: Serve with more chipotle peppers to the bowl for an extra kick. Or, serve with dried chile de arbol.

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1119mg | Potassium: 939mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5756IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg